What’s New in the ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 Robot Safety Standard

Alexandra Schirn

4 hours ago

Collaborative technology (i.e., robot arm) adhering to ANSI/A3 R15.06 2025. which is harmonized with ISO 10218 1:2025 and ISO 10218 2:2025, robot safety guidelines.

You might be working next to a robot today without even realizing it. Collaborative robots (cobots)—designed to work safely alongside humans—have seen a 40% increase in use across manufacturing since 2020. This rapid growth highlights the need for clear, updated safety guidelines as well as new terminology as in actuality, there is no such thing as a “cobot;” rather, there are robots that utilize collaborative technologies. As such, ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025: Industrial Robots and Robot Systems – Safety Requirements now includes enhanced safety requirements specifically for collaborative applications, reflecting how these systems are used in real-world environments.

What Is ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025?

ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 specifies requirements for the inherently safe design, risk reduction measures, and information for use of robots for an industrial environment. This document addresses the robot as an incomplete machine.

It covers everything from robot design and integration to collaborative applications, cybersecurity, and safety-rated functionality. ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 helps enhance the safety of personnel using industrial robots and industrial robot systems by establishing requirements for the manufacture, integration, installation, and safeguarding of industrial robots. Ultimately, ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 empowers manufacturers and integrators to design and deploy safer systems more confidently while supporting innovation without compromising human well-being.

ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 is not applicable to the following uses and products: underwater; law enforcement; military (defense); airborne and space robots, including outer space; medical robots; healthcare robots; prosthetics and other aids for the physically impaired; service robots, which provide a service to a person and as such where the public can have access; consumer products, as this is household use.

Understanding the Three Parts of ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025

ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 will consists of three parts. The new R15.06 Parts 1 and 2 feature extensive updates that focus on making functional safety requirements more explicit rather than implied. This shift enhances clarity and usability, making compliance more straightforward for manufacturers and integrators alike. Parts 1 and 2 are available immediately, and Part 3 is coming soon and will address the user.

Part 1: Safety Requirements for Industrial Robots

This part covers the safety guidelines for the robot itself, including requirements for its manufacture, remanufacture, and rebuilding. This includes features like safety functions, new classifications for robots, testing methodologies, and addressing collaborative robot applications.

Part 2: Safety Requirements for Industrial Robot Applications and Robot Cells

This part addresses the integration and installation of the robot and its applications into a workplace or “robot cell.” It specifies how to safeguard personnel who work with the robotic systems and includes new guidance for end-effectors and manual loading procedures.

Part 3: Safety Requirements for Users of Industrial Robot Cells

This part focuses specifically on safety requirements for the users of the robot cells. *COMING SOON (early November 2025).

When Part 3 is published, the update will be provided to anyone who already purchased ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025.

History of the ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 Standard

ISO 10218‑1, the international standard that forms the basis for ANSI/A3 R15.06, was originally published in 2006. It lays out essential safety requirements for robot manufacturers, focusing on design-stage precautions to minimize risks before a system is even installed in the workplace.

Five years later, in 2011, ISO 10218‑2 was introduced. This companion standard shifts focus to system integration, outlining how industrial robots should be safely implemented in real-world environments. It addresses key issues such as installation, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of robot systems—especially within robot cells and complex applications. To create a unified approach for U.S. stakeholders, the Robotic Industries Association (RIA) combined both ISO standards into ANSI/RIA R15.06‑2012, published the following year.

In 2021, the Association for Advancing Automation (A3) absorbed its robotics, advanced vision, and motion control sub-associations—meaning RIA merged with a few other organizations to become A3. The organizations encompassing A3 include:

The Robotic Industries Association (RIA): Founded in 1974, the RIA served the North American robotics industry. It focused on advancing the use of robotics through education, safety standards, and promoting integrated solutions.
Advancing Vision + Imaging Association (AIA): Formed in 1984, the AIA was the world’s largest machine vision trade group. It supported the industry through standards development, market research, and educational events.
The Motion Control & Motor Association (MCMA): The MCMA was a trade group dedicated to promoting motion control and motor technologies. MCMA was formed in 2015 from a merger of the Motion Control Association (MCA), founded in 2006, and the Small Motors & Motion Association (SMMA), founded in 1975.

This consolidation across organizations aimed to streamline standards development, foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, and better represent the converging nature of modern automation technologies. By merging, A3 now offers members and the broader automation industry a single resource for a wider range of technologies and applications.

Furthermore, in 2025—over a decade since the release of ANSI/RIA R15.06‑2012—the Association for Advancing Automation (A3) published ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025: the newly revised American National Standard for industrial robot safety covering robots and robot systems. ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 updates and replaces ANSI/RIA R15.06‑2012, harmonizing with ISO 10218‑1:2025 and ISO 10218‑2:2025.

ISO 10218‑1:2025 was expanded from 50 to 95 pages, with ISO 10218‑2:2025 growing from 72 to 223 pages, and ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 grew from 162 to 374 pages. Such updates are considered necessary for keeping pace with changes to the industry and the technologies that help them to function.

What’s New in the 2025 Update to ANSI/A3 R15.06 & Why It’s Significant

ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 represents the most significant safety revision in U.S. robotics in over a decade. It is a landmark update robot safety in the U.S., brining clarity of safety requirements, new considerations like cybersecurity, and refined terminology. Here are some key updates in this version of the standard:

Enhanced safety clarity – Functional safety requirements are now made explicit instead of implied. This helps manufacturers and integrators better understand what compliance demands.
Collaborative applications – Rather than treating “collaborative robot” as a robot type, the new standard focuses on the application, allowing for more nuanced safety controls in human-robot interaction environments. This terminology update reflects a maturation in how experts think about safe human-robot interaction (i.e., the robot is only one component in a larger, collaborative interaction).
New Terminology – “Monitored standstill” replaces “safety-rated monitored stop;” “collaborative application” replaces “collaborative robot;” and “safeguarded space” now includes dynamic protections like sensors and scanners, not just physical barriers.
Cybersecurity as safety – The 2025 standard brings cybersecurity into the safety planning fold. Robots and robot systems now have to consider cyber threats as part of overall safety risk.
Manual load/unload and end‑effectors – Areas that previously had more limited (or separate) guidance are now incorporated into the standard. This helps clarify responsibilities and steps for safe operation, not just design.
Updated tests & classifications – New categories for robots, updated test methods, better classification of safety functions to keep pace with robotics tech evolution.

In sum, ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 delivers clearer guidance, smarter classifications, and a roadmap for safety in the era of intelligent automation. The standard empowers manufacturers and integrators to design and deploy safer systems more confidently while supporting innovation without compromising human well-being.

What Does “Collaborative Technologies and Applications” Mean?

Collaborative technologies and applications refer to a general term for any tool that facilitates teamwork, communication, and efficiency for people. There is a focus on how the robot is used and hence its collaborative application. Collaborative technologies and applications can be either synchronous (real-time) or asynchronous (time-delayed) and include, for example:

Hand-guiding controls that allow an operator to physically lead the robot’s motions
Speed and separation monitoring (SSM) that use sensors to keep a safe distance or slow the robot when humans approach
Power and force limiting (PFL) that utilize built-in limits, so the robot can safely bump into a person without causing serious harm

From a safety perspective, a process is deemed collaborative after assuring every aspect of the whole human-robot interaction is safe by design. This includes risk assessments, safety functions, and protective measures around the robot and its workpiece or tool.

Who Uses ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025?

ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 is intended for a wide range of professionals involved in the lifecycle of industrial robot systems—from design and integration to daily use and maintenance. The standard serves as a critical guide to ensuring safety, performance, and compliance across industrial environments where robots are deployed.

Robot manufacturers use the standard to design machines that meet essential safety and performance requirements.
System integrators rely heavily on ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 when planning and building robot work cells.
End users and facility operators (including manufacturers and plant managers) turn to the standard to safely install, operate, and oversee robot systems in real-world applications. ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 also guides them through safe procedures for maintenance and decommissioning.
Health and safety professionals use ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 as a benchmark for evaluating workplace risks and as guidance to establish robust safety policies, training protocols, and compliance programs that protect employees.
Maintenance and technical staff also play a vital role, using the standard to guide inspections, repairs, troubleshooting, and upgrades.
Regulator and auditors use the standard as a reference point during compliance inspections and audits, and ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 provides an objective framework for evaluating whether a robotic system meets the required safety criteria.
Educators and trainers in robotics, automation, or occupational safety rely on ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 to teach students and professionals about current best practices in robotic system design and safe operation.

Where to Find ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025

The release of ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 marks a major milestone in robot safety. Whether you are a manufacturer, integrator, or plant operator, aligning with this American National Standard assures safer workplaces, easier global trade, and future-proof operations. Stay ahead by understanding the changes now and preparing your teams and systems for what is next.

ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025 is developed by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3).

ANSI/A3 R15.06-2025: Industrial Robots and Robot Systems – Safety Requirements is available on the ANSI Webstore and in the following Standards Packages: